Unlike the Scottish Grand Committee, MPs from constituencies outside Scotland can, and do, sit on the Scottish Affairs Committee.
Predecessors
Before 1992 there was not consistent Select Committee scrutiny of Scottish affairs.[2] In 1968 a committee was formed partly in response to the growth of Scottish nationalism, although the committee was closed down by a reorganisation of select committees by Edward Heath's government in 1972. In 1979 Norman St John Stevas the Leader of the House under Margaret Thatcher's government instituted a Select Committee system that closely mirrored government departments in order to have better parliamentary scrutiny of the government. This was again discontinued in 1987 although there was an alternative Scottish Affairs committee manned by opposition MPs.[2]
Membership
Following the 2019 general election, the House of Commons appointed the members of the Scottish Affairs committee on 4 May 2020. As of Jannuary 2024, the membership is as follows:[3][4]
^Unusually, this motion was voted on by MPs. David Linden objected the nomination due to Labour nominating a Liberal Democrat MP to one of their vacant positions. Since both appointments were within the same motion, both were voted on. Members of select committees for each party are decided within the party, and parties can choose any MP to serve for one of their seats, including from outside of their party. The appointment passed with 383 votes to 37.
2017-2019 Parliament
The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.[5][6]
